Scientific Name:
Acer platanoides
'Crimson Sentry'
Pronunciation:
AY-sur pla-tan-OY-dees
Common Name:
Crimson Sentry maple
Family Name:
Sapindaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Dense, compact, small tree; leaves opposite, deep purple (crimsons-oranges in fall), orbicular, most 10-15cm wide, margins serrate and cupped upwards (like a ladle), petioles with milky sap, up to 20cm long. Winter ID: buds dark red to almost black; upward curled branches (fastigiate).
Habit:
Fastigiate, Stiffly upright
Form:
Columnar, Oval - vertical
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
10 - 15m
Mature Spread:
4 - 5m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Europe, Garden origin
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 3: (-40 to -34 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Accent plant, Group or mass planting, Shade tree, Specimen plant, Street (boulevard tree)
Additional Info:
Google. Compare to A. 'Crimson Sunset' (also on campus at TFL).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Heavily veined, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Purple, Dark-red
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Red, Dark-red
Shapes:
Orbicular
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Hastate
Margins:
Dentate
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow, Green-yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr, May
Additional Info:
Never observed on local specimens
Fruit Type:
Samara, Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Not showy, Never observed on local specimens (schizocarps expected to evenually form and split into samara-like mericarps after dispersal)
Bark Morphology:
Lightly fissured, Single stem trunk
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Leaf Scar Shape:
V-shaped
Organ Modifications:
Fibrous-like roots
Propagation:
Cuttings, Grafting
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids, Canker or sap rot, Caterpillar or cutworm, Fungal leaf spot, Galls, Mites, Root rot, Scale insects, Wilt (Drought tolerant)
